


The Art of the Giants

by asphodelknox



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ballet, Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Ballet Dancer Louis, Ballet!Louis au, Bookshop Owner Harry Styles, Dancer Louis, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2017-08-01
Packaged: 2018-12-09 23:43:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11679540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asphodelknox/pseuds/asphodelknox
Summary: Louis is dancing away from an old relationship when he meets Harry at a bookstore in the busy streets of Seattle. Harry is just a bookstore owner hoping his handsome weekly visitor could become something more.





	The Art of the Giants

**Author's Note:**

> 254\. The wonderment at always being able to love anew
> 
> This story was a long time coming. 
> 
> I’ve wanted to write a ballet Louis fic for ages and couldn’t get this little story out of my head. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. 
> 
> I am a born and bred Seattleite and it was an absolute dream to write about four of my favorite things: Seattle, ballet, books, and Larry. There are several references to places/sights from Seattle in this story, but if you’re unsure, a quick Google search will tell you what’s what.
> 
> [Here](https://www.google.com/search?biw=1521&bih=956&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=seattle+sculpture+park+eraser&oq=seattle+sculpture+park+eraser&gs_l=psy-ab.3...11339.12162.0.12641.7.7.0.0.0.0.92.465.7.7.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..0.2.127...0j0i30k1j0i5i30k1j0i8i30k1j0i24k1.oblW8rM4cmc#imgrc=GfwIm7BvnTw9NM:) is the link to the statue that Harry takes Louis to see. If anyone is curious. :)
> 
> Many, many, many thanks to my friends and betas, without whom this story probably wouldn’t have seen the light of day: [Vivi](http://hlficpraise.tumblr.com/), [India](https://indiaalphawhiskey.tumblr.com/), and [Tabitha](http://suddenclarityharry.tumblr.com/).
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** This is a work of fiction with mature and/or explicit content that is not suitable for readers under the age of 18. I absolutely do not condone minors reading this work of fiction and encourage anyone underage to stop reading immediately. Thank you.

_ \- L - _

It was a rainy, dreary day. Most days in Seattle were rainy and dreary, but Louis liked them. They reminded him of London, Doncaster, and home. Seattle felt like a mirror to him. Even though he couldn't be in London or Doncaster, at least he could get the feel of home in Seattle. 

He hopped off the bus and walked the two blocks to the studio, ducking his head to protect his face from the rain. Seattle traffic was never a beautiful thing on Mercer St, but the entrance to the studio and McCaw Hall still gave Louis an extra spring in his step, even after almost a year of living in Seattle. 

He walked in the front doors instead of the cast entrance, just because he could, and made his way back behind the stage, spotting Zayn changing in one of the dressing rooms. Today was the final dress rehearsal for Pacific Northwest Ballet’s February performance of Sleeping Beauty. 

“You're early today,” Zayn said, watching Louis let his bag collapse to the floor next to Zayn’s. He raised an eyebrow and grinned. “Peter won't let you out early just because you’ve arrived early.” 

Louis rolled his eyes. He was always right on time but Zayn loved giving him a hard time, saying it was impossible for Louis to be early. “Can’t a lad be early if he wants to be?” He shed his jeans and jacket, revealing his usual work clothes: black leggings and a loose t-shirt. He stuffed his clothes in his bag and glanced at Zayn. Zayn just smirked at him knowingly.

He adored Zayn. The tall, dark, handsome man was the first friend he’d made at PNB when he was still guarded and unsure of himself. 

But sometimes, Zayn knew Louis too well. Then he didn't adore him quite as much.

“I know your routine,” Zayn said as they walked towards the stage where the other dancers were gathering. “Every Monday you go to Harry’s bookshop ‘cause it's usually our day off. You’ll get a new book. You’ll chat with Harry for a bit, bring it home and read it all week. You’ll text him your thoughts on the book and text me your thoughts on Harry. Lather, rinse, repeat and on and on we’ll go.”

“I…” Louis started, then shrugged. It was the truth.

“You should just ask him out.” Zayn continued, the statement sounding completely normal and calm. The dance of butterflies it incited in Louis’s stomach was anything  _ but _ calm.

“He doesn't even know I work for PNB! How could I ask him out when we don’t even know basic information about each other?” It wasn't that the thought hadn’t crossed Louis’s mind. It had, several times. Harry was fit as hell, kind, intelligent and they laughed together a lot. 

But Louis had come to Seattle to get away from a relationship...not start another one. 

“You know that’s what you do on a date right?” Zayn said, waving to Perrie who came to stand with them. “You learn things about each other on dates.” 

“Who’s going on a date?” Perrie said, poking at Louis’s hair like she always did. 

“Louis, if he can get a fire under his arse,” Zayn said. He leaned over to stretch his leggings further down his legs. 

“Ah, we’re talking about Harry, aren’t we?” Perrie said, nodding. She and Louis were what their artistic director Peter Boal called “his dynamic duo”. It was why they had been chosen to dance the roles of Princess Florine and the Bluebird. The Bluebird’s massive jumps and tricky footwork were a piece of cake for Louis and Perrie’s quiet strength and grace fit Princess Florine perfectly. 

But to be a good pair, you had to know each other and trust each other. Perrie knew Louis and he trusted her. Except when she sided with Zayn. 

“Both of you need to pick up a new hobby,” Louis said, crossing his arms. “One that doesn’t involve my love life.”

“Louis, you've talked about this guy every week since you’ve met him,” Perrie said matter-of-factly. 

“Alright, fine, yes, he’s wonderful and lovely and I’d love nothing more than to come home to him every night, but can you please lay off?” Louis shot Perrie and Zayn his best puppy dog eyes. 

They glanced at each other. It was a look that said, “we’ll give him a hard time when he’s not being such an ass”. Louis internally rolled his eyes at them. They both had partners to go home to. They were overly invested in his lack of one.

Luckily for Louis, Peter was calling all the dancers to attention. He and Perrie were sent with the other soloists to change into their first costumes, while Zayn, who was a Principal Dancer with the role of the Prince, dashed off to find his props for the first act. 

“So I’m having Zayn and Liam come over tonight if you’d like to join,” Perrie said. She and her boyfriend had people over so frequently, Louis had a hard time keeping track. 

“I’ll pass, thanks though.” Louis pulled on his bright blue tights. “I do have a date with a bookstore tonight.” 

She rolled her eyes fondly. 

Even if Peter didn’t let him leave early, rehearsal still went by in a flash. Most of the dancers had done Sleeping Beauty before, so really dress rehearsal was just a chance to refresh choreography, time costume changes, and make sure props went where they needed for each scene. By 5 pm, Louis was ready to head towards his favorite place in town: Harry’s bookshop. 

“Tell Liam I say hello.” Louis waved to Zayn as they left the Hall. Zayn and Liam had been together for three years and had moved to Seattle for Zayn’s ballet career. They had welcomed Louis in like a long lost brother. Zayn and Liam lived in Queen Anne in a beautiful house overlooking the city, thanks to Liam’s career working in tech. 

Louis raced down the block and caught his bus, breathing heavily as he stood cramped between damp commuters on their way home to the suburbs from their downtown jobs. He jumped off at the second stop just before the freeway and briskly walked with his head down until he opened the door to Harry’s shop. 

The bell signaled his arrival and immediately, Louis felt any ounce of tension or soreness leave his muscles. He was inundated with one of his favorite smells: paper, ink, and a constantly full cup of tea. 

Some dancers swore by physical therapy or massages. Louis swore by the smell of musty pages and the dimpled smile of his favorite bookstore owner.

He’d found Harry’s bookstore in August during one of the hottest summers Seattle had ever seen and started frequenting the store, partially for the books, partially for the free air conditioning, and partially for the handsome man behind the counter. Somewhere in October, the two had struck up a conversation and, if pressed, Louis would guess that they hadn’t really ever stopped. It only took two weeks for them to exchange numbers and they spent their days chatting back and forth. Harry’s anecdotes about funny customers usually made Louis’s day.

Harry’s bookshop was essentially a normal bookstore. Books lined the walls and filled the center of the shop, notebooks and journals and bookmarks were stored next to the cash register. There was a small room in the back for a weekly book club Harry led and any blank space along the wall was filled with posters of literary quotes, celebrities reading, and maps of fantastical lands like Narnia, Middle Earth, and Westeros. There were always fresh flowers on the counter and on each of the tables in the store. 

What made the place special were the quintessential Harry touches, though. Over the months they’d known each other, Louis had come to notice the little things sprinkled throughout the bookstore that were just...Harry. The walls behind the bookshelves were a soft pink, giving the whole store a feathery glow that made you seem even cozier than you already were. Harry offered complimentary tea in two corners of the shop, and nestled between the aisles were comfy chairs and chaise lounges. When he hadn’t been at the studio, Louis had spent the better part of that sweaty August on the lounge in the cookbook section.

Ironic, considering he’d never bought a cookbook in his life and didn’t plan to.

Being a Monday evening during rush hour, the bookstore was empty except for one person standing behind the counter. The aforementioned dimpled bookstore owner. The dimpled bookstore owner that Louis quite possibly had a crush on. Harry looked up and smiled with his tongue in between his teeth the minute he saw Louis. Louis couldn’t help but smile back.

“You’re late,” Harry said, drumming his ringed fingers on the hard wood of the counter and lifting an eyebrow. Louis grinned. So Harry  _ had  _ noticed that he’d come by later than usual.

“I had to work today,” Louis said, setting his bag in front of the counter. He rested his elbows on the sturdy wood and leaned forward. “It happens occasionally.” He watched Harry walk around the counter, coming to stand just in front of Louis and popping his hip out.

“Ah yes, your mysterious job,” Harry said. “You must be a spy.” He smirked. 

“I am a man of mystery,” Louis said, evading the question and following Harry into the rest of the store. “How’s your week been?” 

This was their routine. They would talk about their week, what they read, what they had wanted to read, Harry pulling books from the shelves at random intervals and stacking them in Louis’s arms. Louis would take one home, but not until he and Harry had spent the hour talking away like they’d known each other their whole lives. 

They talked about almost everything, although Louis always tried to steer the conversation away from his past or his career. He didn’t think he’d mind telling Harry, it was just nice to exist without his past weighing down Harry’s thoughts of him. It was nice to be friends with someone who knew him but didn’t know the sordid details of his past or the more embarrassing things he’d done.

It was easy, being with Harry, and sometimes, it frightened Louis. But today, he was going to choose to enjoy his time with Harry, rather than dwell on negative emotions. Liam had been telling him all about the power of positive thinking lately...perhaps he should act on it. 

They arrived back at the counter with seven books in Louis’s hands. He set them down and they stood shoulder to shoulder as Harry explained each pick. 

“It’s heresy that you haven’t read a Jane Austen,” Harry said, picking up a thin volume with his massive hands and waving it in Louis’s face. “She’s absolutely hilarious, you’ll love her.”

“Well, you know how much I like funny books,” Louis said, grabbing  _ Persuasion  _ from Harry and setting it down on his left to start his maybe pile. He felt a tingle when his and Harry’s fingers touched. It made him want to keep touching Harry’s hands. “What is this thick monstrosity?” He reached over at the same time as Harry and they lifted the book up together. 

Harry grinned. “Game of Thrones.” He continued before Louis could cut him off. “Like  _ everything _ , Louis, the book is better!” 

“But I’ve already watched the show!” Louis whined, causing Harry to grin wider and push the book towards Louis’s chest. “They’re basically the same, aren’t they?” 

Harry just quirked an eyebrow and placed the book in Louis’s maybe pile. Louis rolled his eyes and turned his attention to the next book. 

“Dark Matter? Isn’t this sci-fi?” 

“Yes, and it’s amazing.” 

“You say everything you recommend is amazing, Harold,” Louis said, nudging the book owner with his shoulder. He had been skeptical when Harry once recommended a book of fairy tales but then they’d end up spending half an hour in animated discussion over Jack the Giant Killer. He’d long learned to trust Harry’s opinion. 

Harry nudged him back. “Well, I wouldn’t recommend them if they weren’t amazing.” 

“I  _ have  _ liked everything you’ve given me.” Louis let himself get caught up in the deep green of Harry’s eyes for a moment. “But I’m not super interested in sci-fi. It freaks me out.” He put the book to his right, in front of Harry. “What else?”

After much back and forth, gentle brushes of fingertips, and enough glances into Harry’s eyes to last Louis until tomorrow, Louis took home  _ Persuasion  _ and  _ All the Light We Cannot See  _ with Harry’s promise that “you’ll laugh through  _ Persuasion  _ and cry through  _ All the Light _ . And I want to know all your thoughts.”

“As usual,” Louis replied, grinning as he stuffed the books into his bag. “See you next week.” 

He took the bus home to his small apartment in the university district. It wasn’t dingy necessarily, but it wasn’t a house on Queen Anne either. His front door required a bit of puzzling to even open. He stopped at his apartment and sighed. Sometimes he loved the puzzle. Other times, he hated it. 

He slid the key into the deadbolt, grabbed the handle and shook the door up just once, before unlocking the deadbolt, kicking the door frame, and opening the door. He walked in and turned the light on, depositing his keys by the door and throwing off his shoes. 

Being a dancer had a few rules, one of which was his diet was fairly regulated. Lots of protein, lots of veggies, and a fair amount of carbs. He settled down at his dining room table next to one of the most redeeming parts of his apartment: the view of Lake Washington. 

Being February, he could hardly see the lake, but he could see the lights sprinkled around it like pearls on a necklace, the city alight with yellow and white bulbs of glow. While he loved Seattle for how it felt like home, it was this view that made him feel like new beginnings and second chances were possible. 

It wasn’t that his relationship with George was fraught with terrible memories. There were plenty of good ones that he’d probably hold on to once he was over the pain. George had had a way of making Louis feel like he was alone in the world. It wasn’t something he wanted to dwell on. 

Especially when he had a new book from Harry to read.

His phone pinged three times as he carried his plate back to the dishwasher. He abandoned it in the sink instead and checked the texts.

The first one was from his sister. He made a mental note to call her before his performance on Thursday.

_ What book did you get today? Send me video of you as the bluebird!!!!!!! - Lottie _

Another was from Liam. Louis had to roll his eyes. Liam was normally the kindest, most unassuming person he knew. Until he and Zayn started drinking. When he was drinking, all of Liam’s thoughts came out to the world in random bursts that he normally apologized profusely for the next morning once he was sober. 

_ Dude, just invite Harry to the ballet. Then invite him home. It’s not rocket science. - Liam _

He made a mental note to ignore Liam’s drunk text.  _ Don’t engage _ , he told himself. He opened the third one and grinned.

_ Have you started Persuasion yet? :) <3 - Harry _

When Harry had first given him his number, urging Louis to text him his thoughts on Dante’s Divine Comedy ( _ “That’s some freaky, shit, Harry! Why did I listen to you?” “Because I have great taste in books! It’s freaky in the best way. I mean, what sort of imagination would you need to write that?” “...True.” _ ), he had been a bit hesitant to bombard his new friend with text after text on Dante’s nine levels of hell, but Harry had ended up calling him after an hour of rapid texting and they had talked until midnight. 

It hadn’t done anything for Louis’s sleep schedule, but he had woken up the next morning with the biggest smile to grace his face since he left England. That was when he figured Harry might be around for a while. 

_ I was just about to. What’re you reading? - Louis _

_ Nothing. Want to read to me? :P - Harry  _

_ You know if I call you, we’ll talk and I won’t actually start Persuasion tonight. - Louis _

Louis and Harry had attempted to read aloud to each other on numerous occasions. It had worked maybe 50% of the time. They both had opinions and couldn’t help but speak their minds. 

_ So? ;) - Harry _

Louis chuckled.  _ This boy will be the end of me _ , he thought fondly. He called Harry, propping his phone on his shoulder as he put his plate in the dishwasher and padded to his couch. Harry picked up on the first ring. 

“Hiiiiiii Lou.” A bright grin spread over Louis’s face. He loved hearing Harry say his name. 

“Hey Haz. Should I start reading or should we just cut our losses and talk like we know we will?” 

Harry chuckled across the line. “You should start. I’ll cut in if I have anything to say.” 

“If you say so!” Louis reached for the book where it sat on the coffee table and pulled it to his lap. He cleared his throat. “Sir Walter Elliot, of Kellynch Hall, in Somersetshire, was a man who, for his own amusement, never took up any book but the Baronetage; there he found occupation for an idle hour and consolation in a distressed one…”

Louis paused. 

“Yes?” Louis could hear Harry’s cheeky smile through the phone. 

“What the hell is the Baronetage?” Louis asked, knowing they wouldn’t get much farther in Persuasion that night. 

They didn’t. 

 

_ \- H - _

“You promised me!” 

“I know, I know.” 

“Harry.” 

“Gemma.” 

Harry stared back at his sister’s annoyingly proud smirk. He knew what she was doing.  _ She _ knew what she was doing. 

“Just cause you don’t frequent the ballet, doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy it.”

“I know, I just…” 

“Is this about Louis?” 

Harry’s mouth dropped open. 

“He normally visits the shop on Mondays, right? That’s your weekly date.” Gemma tapped her nose. “I know these things.” 

“They’re not dates,” Harry said, blushing and smiling without his mind’s permission. “But yes, Mondays are normally…”

“Louis’s day. I know. But he told you himself he couldn’t come today. So, instead, you should go see the ballet with your favorite sister when she’s visiting you from across the world!” She had her hands on her hips, her lavender, ombre hair falling fashionably in her face. Harry knew a lost cause when he saw one. Gemma would not be moved from taking her baby brother to see Sleeping Beauty.

“Alright, alright.” He grinned. “It might be fun.” 

“It  _ will  _ be fun.” 

And that was how Harry and Gemma had come to sit in the front of the first balcony, Gemma eagerly glancing around her at McCaw Hall, Harry lazily browsing through the program. 

“PNB is one of the best ballet companies in the States.” Gemma was saying. “I can’t believe you haven’t been to see them yet!”

“Well, the fascination-with-ballet gene seemed to go almost entirely to you,” Harry said, grinning at his sister. “Besides, I’ve been running a business. That’s not a small feat.” 

“Oh, I know. But you have days off and evenings. You’d think you’d get out more. Take Louis out for a real date or something.” 

She became entirely enraptured in watching the orchestra set up and didn’t hear Harry’s quiet reply. “That would be nice.” 

Taking Louis on a date had been floating around his head for several weeks, especially when Louis had come back to the bookshop declaring, loudly and with a manic waving of his hands, that the sixth Harry Potter was his favorite. After weeks of bonding over books, music, their shared priority of their families and their shared desire to both  _ have _ families, Harry knew in that moment that Louis was the man for him. 

He just wasn’t sure how Louis felt about him. And something about Louis seemed a little guarded. He wasn’t sure if it was because Louis wasn’t interested or if it was something else. 

It didn’t bother Harry, per se, that Louis hadn’t told him where he worked. He could understand not wanting to talk about work. But to not even mention what he did? It left Harry with two options: Louis was either homeless or a spy. Or an alien.

He flipped past the story of Sleeping Beauty, the note from the Artistic Director, and was flipping through the bios of each dancer in the back of the program when he saw it. 

There, listed under soloists, was a photograph of a man. He was standing in front of a pale gray background and dressed in a black scoop neck shirt with familiar floppy brown hair and deep blue eyes that Harry had let himself get lost in multiple times.

“Louis.” Harry breathed. He gulped and read the bio quickly, his fingers shaking so much he rattled the pages of the program. He took another breath and read the bio again.

_ Louis Tomlinson is from Doncaster, England. He trained at the Royal Ballet School and danced with The Royal Ballet beginning in 2010 until joining Pacific Northwest Ballet in 2016 as a soloist.  _

_ In addition to his PNB repertory, Mr. Tomlinson performed leading and featured roles with The Royal Ballet in Giselle, Swan Lake, George Balanchine’s Jewels, George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker _ _ ® _ _ and Petipa and Gorsky’s Don Quixote.  _

Harry nudged Gemma in the ribs, not taking his eyes off of Louis’s photo. “Gems, this is him.” 

“What?” She was still looking around, taking everything in. Harry cleared his throat.

“Look, Gems.” Harry felt his voice crack. “It’s Louis.” He pointed a shaking finger at the photo in the program. 

Gemma gasped and whipped her head around. “Your Louis?” Her eyes were wide and a smile was sneaking on to her face.

“He’s not  _ my _ Louis, Gems!” The thought of Louis being his sent a thrill through his veins. Louis, a dancer. Louis,  _ his _ dancer. He couldn’t hold back his grin.

“He should be!” She flipped through her program. “What’s his last name?”   


“Tomlinson.” 

“Ah look at that! He’s the Bluebird in the last act!” She showed him the cast list and pointed to Louis’s name. “You’ll get to see him dance!”   


“He’s a dancer,” Harry whispered to himself, covering his mouth with his hand to hide his grin, knowing his dimples were showing. He reread Louis’s biography again. Louis had told him he’d moved from London earlier last year but the Royal Ballet? Even Harry, who up until this point was decidedly  _ not _ a ballet fan, knew about the Royal Ballet. It was one of the best ballet companies in the world. If Louis had danced at the Royal Ballet, then...he was  _ good _ .

The lights began to dim and the orchestra tuned in, the prologue filling the hall. Harry let out a deep breath. Louis was a dancer. He worked for PNB. Harry was going to get to see him dance. 

Harry had spent the months since knowing Louis developing a crush that had quickly turned into something more endeared and tender and serious. Seeing him made Harry smile, talking books made him laugh, and Harry’s favorite part of the day was their text conversations that usually turned into phone calls. 

He had never seen Louis’s apartment and hadn’t invited Louis to his. Heck, he wasn’t even sure if Louis was interested in men. But occasionally he would catch Louis looking at him in such a way that made Harry wonder. Maybe Louis felt the same way. 

He had waffled back and forth between progressing their friendship forward to friends who actually spent time together outside of his bookshop. On slow Tuesday mornings and lazy Thursday afternoons, Harry allowed himself the chance to daydream. About Louis, about him and Louis together. 

Looking back, Harry realized there were signs that Louis was a dancer. He wouldn’t have known to look for them, but now they were crystal clear. Louis always stood with his feet overlapping in ballet’s third position. He had impeccable posture. He knew more classical music than anyone else Harry knew. It would have been obvious if Harry had thought to look. 

Harry spent the entire ballet on the edge of his seat. It was no small feat to do so; the program said Sleeping Beauty was one of the longest ballets that companies would perform. His back ached as he searched the stage for signs of Louis, bemoaning the fact that he hadn’t bought a pair of opera glasses at the gift shop. But finally,  _ finally _ , the last act arrived. 

He bit his tongue all through the other acts until a couple dressed in blue appeared on the stage. He had heard the music before, in the woods scene in Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. Seeing Louis finally on stage caused Harry to stop biting tongue, his mouth falling open instead. Louis was stunning. 

Louis floated onto the stage, dancing with his partner, the Princess Florine, turning her, helping her balance, lifting her, all with practiced ease. He looked every inch a delicate and strong bluebird and Harry was completely entranced. Louis was expressive, careful with his movements, and emoted a sort of carefree air. Harry wondered if Louis was always that similar to birds, or if he was just fitting his role. His costume of blue tights, blue shoes, a blue hat, and blue vest only accentuated the likeness.

Harry also noticed how great Louis’s ass looked in tights. That was an image Harry wouldn’t be able to get out of his head anytime soon. Not that he wanted to. 

The duo split and the music changed, and Louis leaped and jumped the length of the stage as a persistent force, never stopping, moving as a blue flurry, back and forth across the stage. He was pure gentle power. Harry sat back as Princess Florine came back out. He sighed and Gemma poked him in the ribs. 

“He’s good.” She whispered. “He’s really good!”

He could only nod as he watched Louis return to the stage, performing an intricate and unending series of jumps, earning him applause from the audience. Harry clapped loudly and ignored Gemma watching him with a smirk. The dance ended with Louis and Florine dancing across the stage to another set of complex jumps and steps that had Harry feeling dizzy.

He felt lightheaded. Dizzy and lightheaded. Louis and his partner ran off the stage, and Harry was sure he wouldn’t catch his breath. Watching Louis dance was...enlightening. He felt like he had just woken up from a long sleep. And he had so many questions. He wondered why Louis had never told him. Was he embarrassed? He obviously had to be one of the best dancers in the world to have worked with the Royal Ballet. There was nothing embarrassing about that. 

The ballet ended and Harry sat still as the curtain rose. He watched Louis and his partner come out for their bows and he applauded as loudly as he could, throwing in a cheer for good measure. 

He let Gemma lead him out of the hall, his stomach a bundle of nerves. Would he tell Louis he saw him dance? He had to, didn’t he? He couldn’t  _ not _ tell him how amazing he was. But, Harry thought as he and Gemma took the bus back to his apartment, he’d tell him in person. Louis had his reasons for not telling Harry his career. 

More than anything, Harry didn’t want to frighten Louis away.   
  


_ \- L - _

Louis came into the shop two days later, on Wednesday morning. He had to get to the studio in an hour to get ready for the next show, but he hadn’t been able to stop by on Monday. He had realized on his way home from Tuesday night’s performance that he  _ missed _ Harry. 

The bell rang and Louis paused, taking in the familiar smell, the sight of Harry behind the counter making him smile. He normally didn’t dwell too much on not telling Harry that he was a dancer. But during performances, he felt a weight to share it with him. He knew Harry was trustworthy. He hadn’t felt so drawn to anybody before, even George. Maybe once Sleeping Beauty was over, he’d ask Harry on that date and tell him then.

“Hey, Haz.” Louis paused by the door and held up  _ All the Light You Cannot See _ . “I finished it.” He walked over to the counter and watched Harry trail his eyes up Louis’s body, finally meeting his eyes. Harry blushed, caught in his appraisal, but he didn’t break eye contact. Louis felt a shiver go up his spine. Was Harry just checking him out?

“I know, Lou. You texted me last night.” Harry said with a grin. “You liked it?” His voice sounded earnest and Louis had to appreciate that Harry always wanted Louis to enjoy the books he recommended.

“I did!” Louis replied. “I was a little surprised I’d finish it this week.” 

“Yeah?” Harry looked at him curiously. 

“Yeah. Work kept me busy.” He put his bag on the floor and knelt to put the book back into it.  _ Once Sleeping Beauty is done. I’ll tell him then,  _ he thought to himself.  _ Two more days and then I’ll tell him. _

He heard Harry swallow. “Lou,” his voice sounded a little shaky and Louis hardly had time to wonder why before he continued. “I saw you. In Sleeping Beauty. My sister was visiting and we went on Monday night.” 

Louis stood up slowly, his eyes traveling over Harry’s face. Harry had seen him dance? “Oh.” He blushed and ducked his face. “Um…” He brushed his hair off of his forehead. Was Harry upset that Louis hadn’t told him? Did Harry think dance was dumb? He felt a gaggle of nerves begin a jig in his stomach. “Told you I wasn’t a spy.” He said softly. He felt his shoulders sag. 

George had thought dancing was “not a real career” and that Louis needed to “move on to better things”. But Louis loved to dance. There was no feeling in the world like performing on stage, making his body move in these incredible and impossible ways. It was thrilling and the closest thing to flying he’d ever experienced. It was why he’d ultimately left George. It was why he was hesitant to tell people he was a dancer. 

Harry strode around the counter and pulled Louis into a crushing hug. Louis tentatively hugged back, wrapping his arms around Harry’s waist and letting himself bury his nose in Harry’s neck, just for a moment. It was the first time he’d ever hugged Harry. He didn’t want it to be the last. 

He stepped back and looked up into Harry’s earnest, green eyes and immediately, the jig in Louis’s stomach stopped. Harry was looking at him like he was...exceptional. 

“Lou,” Harry spoke slowly, softly, reverently. “You were amazing. I’ve never seen someone dance like you.” 

Louis chuckled. “You obviously haven’t been to many ballets then.” He smiled tenderly though, and something on his heart that felt a little like a butterfly settled in for a nap.

Harry shrugged. “Maybe not. But I didn’t even know I would get to see you dance until I saw you in the program and my sister pointed out your role in the cast list. I couldn’t believe it. All those jumps!” He chuckled. “I’ve never known anyone who can do that.” 

Louis shrugged, his smile growing wider at Harry’s exuberance and the feeling of his large hands on his shoulders. 

“How often do you have to work out to do that?” Harry asked eagerly. 

Louis laughed out loud at that. “Working out is my job. I dance for about six hours a day, plus rehearsals.” 

Harry’s hands fell from his shoulders, his face in total shock. “Woah.” 

Louis nodded. “We’ve been working on Sleeping Beauty for a few months now, actually. I’ve done the Bluebird before when I was in London, but it’s always a bit different with every company.” 

The shock fell off Harry’s face, only to be replaced by astonishment. “Lou, you danced for the Royal Ballet!” His voice was filled with awe and reverence. Louis felt the butterfly on his heart flutter its wings.

“I did.” Louis smiled. “My mum paid for me to live in London so I could go to school there.” He paused. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I had an ex...” He didn’t want to go into the whole story. “Well, he thought ballet was pretty dumb so...I guess I just don’t advertise it.” 

Harry just shook his head incredulously. “It’s alright.” He looked Louis square in the eyes. “Your ex is a twat.”

Louis was amazingly endeared to the excited and impressed man in front of him. He hadn’t had someone so interested or amazed at his career in a long time. 

“I want to see you dance again.” Harry blurted out. Louis’s eyebrows flew to his hairline and Harry blushed. “I mean...it would be nice, is all. Now that I’m not taken aback by the realization that my friend has been hiding his illustrious ballet career from me.” He grinned cheekily. 

Louis grinned and was certain the butterfly was dancing around his heart now. That’s why his heart was beating so quickly, right? “Well, Sleeping Beauty is almost over, but we’re doing a performance of Jewels in two weeks. I have a dress rehearsal a week from Friday. You can come to that?” 

“The public can come to dress rehearsals?” Harry’s jaw was six inches off the floor at this point, Louis was sure. 

“We normally just have our season ticket holders come, but us dancers can invite friends and family if we want. There’s champagne and a question and answer thing at the end, and normally we all go out for drinks afterward.” He took in a deep breath. Zayn was going to flip a lid when he found out Louis asked Harry to a dress rehearsal. “It would be cool if you came.

Harry just smiled. It was the smile that made his dimple pop out and Louis couldn’t help it when his heart did a little flip. “I’d love to.” 

Louis wrote down the address and the details and handed them to Harry. He was blushing and to his surprise, Harry was too. 

“This is great,” Harry said, looking at the piece of paper in awe. “I’m really excited.” 

“I am too.” And Louis really was.   
  


_ \- H - _

Harry waded his way through the crowd gathering in front of the stage. Louis had texted him that morning and it had made Harry grin all day. 

_ Glad you’re coming tonight. :) - Louis _

_ Can’t wait to see you dance again. ;) - Harry _

_ Geez, you’ll make me all self-conscious. :P - Louis _

_ :D - Harry _

Since finding out he was a dancer, Harry had found himself falling even harder for Louis. They’d somehow texted even more and Louis had started showing up at the bookstore twice a week. They’d even sat and had tea together one evening after Harry had closed. They’d been flirting. More than usual anyway. 

It was nice to know for sure that Louis was interested in men but he didn’t like the idea of someone calling something Louis did dumb. Louis’s ex must never have seen him dance.

He spotted a seat and made his way towards it, apologizing as he passed people already seated.

“Is this seat taken?” He asked the man sitting next to the open seat. 

The brunette shook his head. “No, it’s all yours.” He smiled in a welcoming way and patted the seat next to him. 

“Thanks.” Harry tried not to trip but ended up sort of falling into the plush seat anyways. “I’ve never been to one of these before.” 

He chuckled. “They can be a bit overwhelming. Do you know one of the dancers or are you a ticket holder? I’m Liam, by the way.”

“I’m Harry.” Harry held out his hand. “I know Louis. Tomlinson?”

Liam’s eyes widened and he shook Harry’s hand with a wide grin and a quirked eyebrow. “It’s nice to meet you, Harry. I’ve actually heard a lot about you. My boyfriend, Zayn is also a dancer and he and Louis are good friends.”

Harry smiled. “Oh! I’m glad I sat next to you then.”

“I’m glad you sat next to me too. I swear the highlight of Louis’s week is visiting you and getting a new book.” Liam grinned and Harry felt a warmth fill his chest. “Have you been to the ballet much?” 

Harry shook his head. “No, my sister took me a few weeks ago. That’s when I made the connection that Louis was a dancer.”

“He’s very good. He’ll probably be promoted to a principal next year.”

“What’s that?” Harry suddenly felt out his depth. “I don’t really know much about ballet...I’ve always been more of a musical man, myself.” 

Liam chuckled. “I work in tech. The only reason I know anything is because I fell in love with a dancer.” Harry laughed with him. “A principle is a dancer who is basically the highest position in the company. They get most of the leads and best roles and that sort of thing. Zayn is a principle; you probably saw him as the Prince in Sleeping Beauty.” 

“Probably. I was a little caught up in finding out Louis is a dancer. He said this ballet is called Jewels?” 

Liam nodded. “Have you heard of Balanchine? Big American choreographer? He did the choreography. It’s split into three parts: Emeralds, Rubies, and Diamonds. Each represents a different tradition of ballet. Emeralds represents French ballet, Rubies represent American ballet, and Diamonds represents Russian ballet.”

“What are Louis and Zayn in?” Harry asked, feeling a little disconcerted that Jewels wouldn’t have a storyline. That’s okay...he liked books without intentional story lines… he could handle a ballet without one.

“Zayn is the lead male in Emeralds, Louis is one of five men in the Rubies section.” Harry thought that for a tech guy, Liam knew his stuff. “You’ll see, the Rubies role fits him really well. It’s all sass.” 

“He is very sassy.” Harry said, smiling to himself (and thinking about a particular discussion about Jane Eyre that had ended with Louis crying, “I’m a sassy man, Harry! Deal with it!”). “How long has Zayn been with PNB?"

“Two years. He came in as a Principle. He trained in France actually, and I was in Paris working for a tech company. He got a job offer here and we just decided to move.” 

“That’s really cool,” Harry said. “What’s it like having a dancer for a partner?” He couldn’t help it if he was curious. Ever since Louis had asked him to come to his dress rehearsal, he’d felt the shift. He hoped beyond all hope that it meant there was a possible future for him and Louis.

“Well, there’s a lot of late nights. There’s more lipstick involved than I thought.” Liam smirked. Harry wondered what Louis looked like in lipstick. “But he has pretty easy summers so we’ll normally take a long vacation somewhere, which is nice. Nutcracker season is insane and he does have to work Christmas Eve, but we don’t mind it.” 

Harry hummed. The lights dimmed and the curtain rose. The stage looked like a glittering necklace of Emeralds, and the dancers came out in bright flurries of green, whirling and floating across the stage. He was enchanted. 

“That’s Zayn!” Liam leaned over and whispered. Harry glanced over and the look of pride on Liam’s face almost distracted him from watching Zayn. He wondered if that’s what his face would look like when Louis came on stage.

The curtain fell on the Emeralds and Harry and Liam clapped along with everyone else. 

“He’s very good!” Harry said. 

“Oh isn’t he?” Liam said. “He’s worked so hard. I’m really proud of him.” 

Harry nodded. Rubies was next and he couldn’t wait to see Louis. The curtain rose on a red stage and the music started with intensity. Harry picked out Louis almost immediately. The music was just as audacious as Liam had described it and Louis looked like he was having loads of fun. Every movement was punctuated with his signature sass. Harry could almost imagine Louis dancing sarcastically. Was that even possible? 

He didn’t know and he didn’t really care. For the next half hour, he couldn’t take his eyes off Louis, whirling about, throwing attitude around like candy from a pinata. 

He didn’t really want to either.   
  


_ \- L - _

Louis and the other dancers were backstage, getting back into street clothes when they heard the kerfuffle of family and friends waiting for them in the hall. 

_ Harry _ . He thought, pulling on a t-shirt. He felt his heart thrill. Jewels was one of his favorite ballets and he hoped Harry had enjoyed himself. Knowing Harry was in the audience has spurred on his dancing. Peter had even pulled him aside later to compliment him on his performance. 

“Hey, Liam texted me that he met Harry,” Zayn said from where he was checking his phone next to Louis. “Let’s go find them.” 

Louis nodded, his heart picking up its pace, and slung his bag over his shoulder, following Zayn into the hallway. He spotted Harry right away, standing next to Liam who waved over the sea of dancers meeting their friends and family. 

“Good lord, Lou, you didn’t say he was tall!” Zayn said with a smirk.  

Louis just chuckled and smiled at Harry. Liam motioned them over to the wall where it was less crowded. 

“Hey, babe,” Liam said, giggling as Zayn leaped into his arms and kissed all over his face. “You… did… great!” The giggling turned to outright laughing and Louis rolled his eyes. Zayn and Liam were one of the most affectionate couples he’d ever met. They were disgustingly cute.

He looked at Harry and was sure his heart stopped. He’d never seen anyone aside from his mum look at him with that much pride. Harry’s dimples were showing and he’d even dressed up. At least he was wearing more than the simple t-shirt and jeans he wore when he worked at the bookstore. He had on a button down and boots (that sparkled, to Louis’s amazement).

“You did amazing!” Harry said, pulling Louis in for a hug. He hugged Harry back tightly, grinning from ear to ear. 

“Thanks, Haz.” He snuggled his head into Harry’s neck. Harry smelled exactly like his bookstore: ink, paper, fresh flowers, and tea. “I’m really glad you came.” 

He could feel more than hear Harry chuckle. “I’m glad too. You’re totally a ruby, you know. I could practically feel the sass dripping off you.” 

Louis laughed out loud at that and the two broke apart. He let himself get lost for a minute in Harry’s eyes, sparkling with mirth. 

“So what do you two say to drinks?” Liam said, breaking their moment and Louis realized that Zayn and Harry hadn’t officially met yet. Zayn was looking expectantly between Harry and Louis. Harry raised his eyebrows at Louis. 

“Sorry!” Louis apologized. “Harry, this is Zayn. Zayn, this is…”

“Harry!” Zayn said in his usual enthusiastic calm. “It’s great to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.” 

“Everyone has, apparently,” Harry said with a grin, shaking Zayn’s hand. “Drinks sound great.” 

Louis was trying not to turn into a tomato. He hadn’t talked about Harry  _ that _ much, had he? “Yeah, drinks. Great.” He squeaked out, getting smirks from Liam and Zayn, and a squinty smile from Harry. “Let’s get going!”

He grabbed Harry’s wrist and led them out of McCaw Hall. It wasn’t until they sat down at the restaurant, Louis dragging Harry into the booth behind him, that he realized at some point on the two block walk, Harry had tangled their fingers together. 

Liam and Zayn went to the bar to get drinks, arms wound around each other’s waists, Liam whispering something in Zayn’s ear. Louis looked at Harry, who was biting his lower lip over a shy smile, still holding Louis’s hand. Louis beamed. 

“Drinks on me?” He said. It was the least he could do. Harry was very quickly becoming one of his favorite people. 

Harry nodded and ran his thumb over Louis’s knuckles. “Sounds great.” 

“Have you ever come here before?” Louis asked, leaning against Harry’s bicep. Louis hadn’t been to this particular bar yet, but he trusted Liam and Zayn to know all the spots. He also could hardly care where they were. Harry was holding his hand. For the first time. 

The butterflies around his heart were dancing a Scottish Reel. The butterflies in his stomach were doing a vigorous rain dance.

“A few times. If the bookstore is really slow, I’ll walk over here for lunch. The Cajun tots are amazing.” Harry said, picking up the Happy Hour menu with his free hand and resting it on the table where they could both read. Louis squeezed Harry’s hand and pulled it into his lap. Harry hummed.

“Drinks!” Zayn said as he and Liam plopped pints of beer on the table. “And an order of Cajun tots coming up.” 

“Thank god,” Harry said, still pursuing the menu. “That’s my favorite thing here.”

Liam swung an arm around Zayn. “So Harry, how did you, a fellow Englishman, arrive in Seattle?” 

Harry shrugged. “I came out here after uni to stay with some friends, just for a gap year. I just fell in love with the city and stayed. I opened the bookstore a year ago.”

“Right around when Louis got here then,” Zayn said, grinning into his beer. 

“Guess so,” Harry said, looking at Louis with a grin. “When did you start coming round exactly? I don’t really remember.” He frowned, and Louis wanted to kiss the furrow between his brows.

“Around August,” Louis said. “I was getting a bit bored cause we don’t have much going on in the summer and my sister told me to get off my arse and read a book so I did. Plus it was bloody hot and my flat doesn’t have AC.” 

Harry clutched his heart with the hand holding Louis’s and put his other hand to his forehead. “You used me to get AC?” 

“What can I say?” Louis squeezed Harry’s hand. “I couldn’t turn down cool air!” 

The four chuckled and eased into a conversation about where they’d grown up and how they’d moved to Seattle, what music they all listened to, what they thought of the recent episode of Game of Thrones, and who had the highest score at FIFA. Three beers and two and a half hours later, they were laughing like they’d been friends their whole lives. 

“I think my friend Niall would really like you all,” Harry said. He was buzzed, he’d said so after beer #2, and Louis thought he was adorable. “He’s from Ireland and works at a recording studio in Capitol Hill. He just moved out here.” 

“We should all get together then!” Liam said. “Zayn and I have Louis over every Sunday night for dinner and FIFA. Would you two want to join?” 

“Niall will never turn down free food,” Harry said with a giggle. Louis thought it was the cutest sound he’d ever heard. Could he think sounds were cute? Must be the beer. “We’re totally in.” 

“Sunday it is then!” Liam smiled and wiggled his eyebrows at Louis while Harry took a sip of his drink. Zayn started whispering in Liam’s ear so Louis didn’t have to scowl at him. 

Harry leaned over to him too, nosing at Louis’s ear. “I normally wouldn’t say this without taking you on a date first, but I can’t get the vision of you in tights out of my head.” 

Louis smirked and blushed. He was pretty proud of his ass in tights. It was nice that Harry noticed. “Yeah?” He felt Harry run his nose along his ear. Liam and Zayn had gotten up and walked away somewhere but Louis couldn’t be bothered with where they went. 

“Yeah.” Harry chuckled and Louis felt it all along his side and up his spine. He leaned into Harry’s warmth, so timid and shy earlier after rehearsal, now braver and bold after a few beers and good conversation.

“Then maybe you should take me on a date,” Louis said.  _ Thank you, beer, for the liquid courage _ , he thought. 

“I’d like that.” Harry pulled back and looked Louis in the eye. “That’s  _ not _ the beer talking. I’ve wanted to ask you out for weeks.” 

“I’ve wanted to ask you out for weeks too,” Louis said, his heart pounding in his chest as he filled up with joy. “Definitely not the beer talking.” 

“Cool,” Harry said, a smile growing on his face. “After dinner date?” 

Louis nodded, feeling himself grin back. “When?” 

“Monday. Not at the bookstore.” 

Louis chuckled. “You pick the location then. Pick you up at 6:30?” 

“Deal.”   
  


_ \- H - _

Monday arrived overcast and dry, a rarity for March in Seattle but Harry appreciated it nonetheless. He took it as the universe telling him that dating Louis was a good thing. 

The three days since Louis’s dress rehearsal had flown by in a whirl of weekend business (people always shopped for books in March, probably to bulk up their summer reading lists). Sunday night had been spent at Liam and Zayn’s house. Niall came along and Harry was certain that Niall made new best friends wherever he went because, by the end of the night, Liam and Zayn were telling Niall to come over for dinner later in the week.

The texts and phone calls with Louis had become much more flirtatious and Harry felt like he couldn’t gush over Louis enough (“I’m totally sober now and I  _ still  _ can’t get the image of you in tights out of my head.” “Harry, I’ve never had somebody praise my arse as much as you do.” “Well, it deserves to be praised!”). 

Their conversations had become more serious too. Harry and Louis had taken the same bus back to their flats in the University district after dinner at Zayn and Liam’s and Harry had hesitantly asked about Louis’s ex. 

“Why did he think ballet was dumb, exactly? Did he ever actually see you dance?” They were sitting side by side, only three other people on the bus with them. Harry had the aisle seat, his long legs stretched out past the seats in front of them.

Louis had sighed heavily and looked out the window. “No, he didn’t. I think he just imagined me fluttering around in a tutu. I should have taken it as a sign. He was kind but very self-obsessed. He never really asked much about me at all, even aside from my work. He didn’t know I read as much as I do.”

“He was missing out.” Harry had suddenly felt a surge of protectiveness fill him. Louis didn’t deserve someone who couldn’t see him for the artist he was. 

“He’s why I left London, actually.” Louis had said quietly. The lights from the city had gently rolled across his face in a soft rainbow that made his face glow. Harry wanted to take a photograph and remember how Louis’s face looked forever. “He threw a complete fit when I broke up with him. He kept coming back to the apartment after I kicked him out, kept texting me and calling me. I had been thinking of moving on from the Royal Ballet anyway. George sort of gave me the push to move cause I wanted to get away from him. It was in the middle of the season but PNB had also just lost a dancer so it worked out alright.” 

“Did he know you moved here?” Harry asked. George sounded like a creep.  _ And rude. And just… dumb,  _ Harry thought.

Louis shook his head. “We had a few mutual friends and I asked them not to tell him. I left pretty quickly. We’d lived together for two years so I packed up my most important possessions and jumped on a flight.”

“That’s…” Harry sighed. “He’s an idiot.” Louis chuckled. “And I’m glad you ended up here.” He smiled and the protective feeling gave way to something more like tenderness. He slid his arm around Louis’s shoulders, feeling his heart skip a beat as Louis leaned into his side.

“I am too.” Louis leaned his head back to rest on his shoulder, revealing his delicate neck. Harry wondered what his neck would taste like.

They’d sat in silence for a few moments when Louis spoke up again. “So what about you? Any terrible exes I should know about?” 

It wasn’t a question that should have made him grin, but it did. It meant Louis was curious, that he might want to know who came before him so he could nestle himself into Harry’s life. 

“I had a serious relationship in university, but we broke it off right before we graduated. He moved to Uganda to do charity work and I wasn’t keen to go with him. I’d visited Seattle with family when I was a kid and decided to come back after I graduated. I haven’t dated anyone since.” 

Louis hummed. They’d parted ways once they got off the bus, but not before Louis had pulled Harry into a hug. “See you tomorrow. For our date.” He whispered in a silvery voice. He’d winked at Harry as he’d walked away.

It had sent vibrations up Harry’s spine, vibrations that hadn’t left until he’d woken up the next morning. 

And now, sometime in the next fifteen minutes, Louis was coming to pick him up for their date. It was weeks of dreams come true. He was pretending to be fixing up the stacks of bookmarks and journals next to the cash register but really he was just looking for something to do with his hands. 

The door opened, the bell ringing brightly into the room. Harry took a breath and turned around. 

Louis was standing at the open door, hair swept to the side of his face. He wore a wide smile, a navy blue scoop neck t-shirt that accentuated his eyes, and skinny black jeans. He looked completely delectable. Harry smiled back.  

“Hey Haz.” Louis stepped into the bookstore, letting the door shut behind him. “Ready to go?” 

“Definitely.” Harry grabbed his wallet and phone and walked right up to Louis. Louis held out his arms and Harry enveloped him in a hug. He was becoming quite fond of holding Louis. “I thought I’d show you one of my favorite places in Seattle.”

“Sounds great!” Louis’s voice was muffled from where his head was resting just on Harry’s shoulder. 

Harry chuckled. “Do we need to hug longer?” Not that he would mind. Louis gave great hugs. 

Louis took in a deep breath, squeezed Harry’s waist one more time and let go. “I’m ready. Where are we going?” 

“Have you been to the Sculpture Garden yet?” Harry couldn’t wipe the adoring grin off his face if he tried. Louis was so soft and kind and honest. 

Louis cocked his head to the side, fixing Harry with a perplexed look. “It doesn’t ring a bell. What is it?” 

Harry motioned them out of the front door, flipping the sign to CLOSED and locking the door behind him. “It’s a big park on the waterfront that has a bunch of sculptures. It’s a really nice view of the Sound.” It was one of Harry’s favorite places in the whole of Seattle. He had discovered it fairly early on after he’d moved and it felt like a peaceful oasis in the middle of the busy city. 

“Sounds lovely,” Louis said, sliding his hand into Harry’s. 

“It is.” There was a comfortable lull as they hopped on the bus and found seats. Harry let his arm rest on the back of the seat and Louis leaned into his side again. There was silence for a moment then Louis took in a breath, as if he was about to say something, then slightly shook his head. 

‘What is it?” Harry asked. 

Louis paused. “Does this…“ he motioned between them with his hand, “feel easy, to you?” 

Harry nodded. “Yeah. I thought it would feel a bit weirder, just ‘cause I haven’t been with someone in ages but… ” He shrugged and Louis giggled as his head moved with Harry’s shoulders. “It’s easy. And nice.” 

Louis hummed and snuggled closer into Harry’s side. Harry leaned down and kissed Louis’s temple. 

“Styles,” Louis said, causing Harry to pull back. Had he gone too far or something? 

“Uh...yes?” 

“Are you seriously taking me to a  _ park _ in March in Seattle?” Louis glanced up at him, a cheeky grin on his face. 

Harry laughed. “Yep. You’re a Londoner! You shouldn’t be phased by that at all!” 

Louis laughed too, high and loud. It sounded like music to Harry’s ears. “Then it’s perfect for us, isn’t it?”

The bus pulled up to their stop and Harry pulled Louis off the bus. They crossed the street and immediately Louis gasped. 

“You weren’t kidding about this view,” Louis said.

“I never kid about views,” Harry said, grabbing Louis’s hand. “Come on, there’s a giant old typewriter eraser statue here that’s just so cool.” 

Louis kept up with Harry’s brisk pace. “A typewriter eraser?” He laughed loudly. “Harry, I don’t even know what that looks like!” 

They walked past a large orange structure that looked a bit like an octopus, over train tracks and onto a dirt path lined with smaller statues. Harry stopped about halfway down and pointed to their left. There in the grass stood a giant pink wheel with black lines protruding from it. “This,” he said with a flourish of his hand, “is a typewriter eraser.” He grinned at the look of awe and incredulous-ness on Louis’s face.

“For a giant, I’m assuming.” Louis’s eyebrows were reaching his hairline but a smile was spreading across his face.

“Of course. It’s for all those love letters they type to each other.”

“Giants write love letters?” Louis said, looking at Harry doubtfully. Harry knew he was being ridiculous but somehow he didn’t care. Louis was making him feel reckless and carefree. 

“Jack just misunderstood them. They’re really gentle creatures who adore love and good art. They just deserved a second chance.” Harry grinned at Louis, a wide grin that made his dimple poke out. Louis laughed and Harry figured he’d be fine spending his time finding new ways to make Louis laugh like that. 

“Don’t we all!” He said, sounding exhilarated. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen.” Louis had a wide grin on his face and Harry knew. Louis was an artist, a storyteller. He knew how to appreciate art. Even if it was for giants. “But also the sweetest.”

Harry grabbed Louis’s hand. “Come on, there’s more down by the beach.” 

Louis grinned and went with Harry, hands clasped together as they walked along the water, the twilight settling around them. They chatted and laughed and tried to interpret each statue, coming up with wilder and wilder stories for each one. They slowly made their way down to the beach and Harry led them to a small inlet nestled amongst the grass. It looked out on Puget Sound, gentle waves licking against the sand.

“This is one of my favorite places in the whole city. I come here all the time in the summer.” He sat on a log that looked somewhat dry and Louis sat down next to him. 

“I can see why. I bet you get a gorgeous sunset here.” 

“It’s beautiful. It reflects off the water like a mirror. It’s especially pretty here when it’s rainy because the rain drops make these ripples in the water and it looks like this cozy blanket we had when I was a kid.”

“Do you miss Holmes Chapel much?” Louis asked, resting his head on Harry’s shoulder. Louis was more affectionate and physical than any of his past boyfriends but Harry didn’t mind in the least. It was like the easiest way to know Louis wanted him near.

“All the time. I’m going home for Christmas this year though.” 

Louis nodded. “I’m going home for Christmas too. Lottie told me in no uncertain terms that I had to. She said she wouldn’t let me run away forever.” 

“She sounds like a spitfire, Lottie.” The twilight was starting to turn darker, the only light from city lights reflected off the water and the lamps behind them.

“From what you’ve told me of Gemma, they’d probably get along like a house on fire.” 

Harry chuckled. “Probably.” They sat in silence a few more moments. It was comfortable. Harry didn’t feel like he  _ needed _ to talk. He hoped Louis felt the same. “Do you think you’re running away still?” 

Louis didn’t answer right away. He lifted his head and looked at Harry. The lights behind Harry reflected in Louis’s blue eyes. Harry hummed, letting himself get lost in the eyes of the man in front of him. 

“Not anymore.” Louis glanced back at the water. “I thought I’d be running forever just to get away from how I felt with George. But it’s kind of amazing how, even after you’ve had a broken heart, you can still try again. You can replace those old negative emotions with new positive ones with other people.” He looked back at Harry and in that one moment he saw Louis before him, vulnerable and open, and it was a sight Harry would never forget the rest of his life.

Louis inched closer, glancing down at Harry's lips. Harry’s hand slid from Louis’s shoulders to around his waist, pulling the dancer closer to him. They met in the middle, gentle lips exploring hesitantly at first, soft kisses traded back and forth like secrets. Louis licked Harry’s bottom lip and he let in Louis’s tongue, mingling his own and tasting Louis. His hand came up to cradle Louis’s cheek. 

Kissing Louis felt like possibility. Like reverent acceptance of a future that was sitting on a damp, sandy beach kissing him till he felt as warm as a Seattle summer. Louis pulled back gently, and Harry chased his lips, leaving a trail of small kisses on his lips, his nose, his cheekbones. He wondered if he’d ever stop. 

“Thank you,” Louis whispered, resting his forehead against Harry’s. 

“For what? Kissing you?” Harry whispered back. He nudged Louis’s nose with his own, feeling Louis’s warm breath on his face. Louis giggled. 

“For showing me the art of the giants.” 

Harry chuckled. “Always.” 

It was a promise.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Tumblr [here](https://iamasphodelknox.tumblr.com/) and share the Masterpost for the story [here](https://iamasphodelknox.tumblr.com/post/163692384544/title-the-art-of-the-giants-author-asphodelknox) if you like it!
> 
> This fic was written as part of an ongoing challenge. We each select random numbers and are given a specific emotion from the book 1000 Feelings For Which There Are No Names. To read the other fics written in this challenge, click [here](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/ShortFic_Challenge_For_Which_There_Is_No_Name/works), or you can find the masterpost on tumblr [here](http://lululawrence.tumblr.com/post/159679804243/1000-feelings-for-which-there-are-no-names-prompt).


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